Stone-surfacing machine



Aug. 19, 1930. J. CANNING STONE} SURFACING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1923 4She t s-Sheet 1 Aug.rl9, 1930. J. CANNING STONE SURFACING MACHINE FiledAug. 18, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet ll lll ll l I l i l 0 i l Aug. 19, 1930. J.CANNING STONE SURFACING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug.- 18, 1925 Aug.19, 1930.. .1,773,388

STONE SURFACING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 and thelike.

Patented Aug. 19, 193% w we e amass QF I E amass CANNING, orMonrrrn'mnn; vnntion'r s rou s-sparrows CHINE;

:App'iieation filed August 18;

, An understanding of mypresent invention involvesthe consideration ofthe art ofstone facing and polishing, particularly with reference to theharder stones such as'granite Blocks of such material by reason ofitsgrain or texture, are of necessity usually somewhat rough and on accountor" hardness the reduction of any face to a per; test surface is one ofconsiderable difiiculty.

One of the dificulties of more rapid'reduction of unevenstone surfacesto a smooth and oped and becomes apparent progressively as the workproceeds and 1s establ shediand verlfied when movementof theworkis'finished. In disclosing my invention I have shown a machine ofwhat maybe called a rigid type r and of single spindle as bestillustrating the problem involved and the manner of. its solution. Therigidtype'ot machine is highly desirable as affording 'abasisifor themore [rapid and aggressive-attack on thestone.

The single spindle or single wheel is also for many reasons of; greatereconomy and elli- 'ciency than gangs "or series of; spindles or cutterswhose working path must 'overlap lt ridges are to be avoided, andyetwhose very overlapplng tends to create 1nequal1ty.,-

.-.,The problemof the single wheel is one of traverse, ample to providefor thegcovering of every-portion of thei'ace of the stonebut it, iscomplicated v by; the, problem' of such: a regulation as will permitTrep'eated travers;

ings or even dwellsxat high areas with an avoidance'of such atflo'werareas. j

It is furthermore to'be noted that in th reduction. of a rough or unevensurface to a true plane capablezof taking a high polish Fig.

1323;, Serial No. 7 658,025.

that any overworking must not; only avoided but must be anticipatedwhile at the same time the underworkingofhigh spots must alsoanticipated in order to avoid an increase in diilerence in the level andaggeratlonot contrasted areas;

vbolution of this problem has been variously in exiattempted but sofaras I am advised without complete success. One ofjthe most important'i actors of the success of my invention lies in the combination withthe traversing 'means of a singlerigid work spindle of compressiblemeans for maintaining the -spindle against the work, including means forcontinuously observing indicated relative states of the perpendicularpositioning of the. work spindle whereby thesuccessive working plane ofthe surfacingwheel in its traverse of. the stone may be compared. Thismeans ofcompari sonmay be ofsomewhat varied character and mayincludevariousfunctions, but itsimporl'ation to the cohtrolo'li-th'etraverse by which the wheel maybe brought to any spot in the stone andreturned or'held there or quickly 7 removed from that area "withcontinued reference to other but particularly the adjacent a s "I" Jtant and fundamentalcharacter lies in its rean this will bemore clearlyunderstood by referenceto the machine selected as illu'stra tive ofmyinvention and which I have shown in the accompanying drawings; a r

For the purposes of my present application there is illustrated in thedrawings forming apart hereof a'machi'ne in accordance with inventionand capable. of performing work in accordance with the require-Throughout the specification and drawings like reference characters areemployed to in- 'd cate corresponding parts, andin the drawings: i I a,p g

' Fig. 1 isan end elevation of the'said ma chine;

2 is, a rear view with truckdrive not shown. I i

Fig. 3 a plan vlew.

4 a sectional View of the-spindle head, I

m'ents and'desires heretofore pointed out.

Fig. a plan section along the line aa, Fig. 2.

In such a machine suitable foundation is provided as at 1 to whichchannel beams 2 are secured to carry the main frame of the machine. Thisconsists of vertical I-columns 3 on which is adj ustably mounted a headcarriage in which is rigidly supported a work spindle 20 but verticallymovable with reference to said carriage. The carriage 10 is verticallyadjusted by the screws 12' so as to beraised and lowered with referenceto a stone S on a car 9 on a trackway 8. The trackway 8 is carefullylaid and leveled so that the car may be moved to carry the stone Sbeneath the wheel or other surfacing device TV which supported by thespindle 20, so that in all positions of the stone and the wheel theremay be maintained a uniformity of level. I

The spindle 20 is carried in a slide 15 which is traversed across thehead carriage 10 by feed screws 17 with which the slide is engaged bythreaded bearings 16 so that the head carrying with it the spindle 20may be moved transversely of the work, which movement coupled with thelongitud inaln'iovement of the car makes it possible to cover with asingle wheel the entire surface of the work and all the While working tothe constant plane or surface desired.

As the face of the stone S is worked down to its ultimate surface ordesired level the single wheel TV in its course of travel ashereinbefore pointed out, if under automatic control will pass areas ofthe level or substantial level and unworked or partially worked areas ofdifferent-level. The controls by which the transitof the Work spindlemay be checked or its traverse repeated will be pointed out hereafterbut their prime im-' portance is in relation to the connection of myspindle construction and operation, as may best be seen in Fig. 4.

The spindle 20. is carried in bearings 20 so as to be held rigidlyperpendicular but freely rotatable so as to be driven by its beveledgear 22 which is splined at 22 to it to permit a slight vertical. play.I The upper bearing v2O of the spindle rests on a thrust collar 23hearing on a shoulder on the spindle itself. Between the bearing 20 anda third bearing 20 is a strong spring 24, the bearing 20 is backed up bya hollow threaded plug 25 within which a rack bar is movably held, thelower end of this rack bar resting on the upper end of the spindle 20 soas to follow the movements thereof. Meshing with the rack bar 30 is asmall pinion 81 on the shaft32 on which is a pointer 33 and movable withreference'to a dial 34. The dial 34 is onlyby convenience a dial andonly by convenience an indicator ofanything exceptchange of plane of theworking face of the wheel W. It may be and preferably is graduated insome standard scale but its primary and important function which shouldbe maintained is either that of verification or of indication withreference to an accomplished plane such as a finished area of surface oran unattained plane located in an unfinished or incomplete area ofsurface. This important potentiality and the combinations which go tomake up this drive and control of the spindle will be further discussedunder the operation of the machine.

The machine is preferably of the independent motor drive type, the workspindle 20 being driven through its bevel gear 22 by a gear 35 which isdriven through the gear train 36-37 by the motor 38 which is supportedon a bracket 39 on the head slide 15 on which the spindle head issupported.

Carried at the top of the columns 3 are a pair of frames 4 preferablybraced as at 4' in the channel base 2 of the main frame and connectedacross by frame pieces 5 to insure the rigidity of the whole. Carried atone end of one of rrmne pieces 4 is a motor 40 geared as at 41 to ashaft 42 on which is splined a pair of cone pulleys 43 driving through afriction cone 44 and intermediate The cross shaft 46 has at one end abevel gear47 and at the other end a bevel gear 48. The gear 48 mesheswith a gear 50 on another counter shaft 51 having at its other end apinion 52. This in turn meshes with a bevel gear 53 on another countershaft 54 carrying bevel pinion 55. The bevel pini-ons 47', 50, 52 and 55mesh with gears 56, each at the top of one of the vertical threadedcontrols 12 by which the head i0 is raised and lowered.

The traversing cones 48 are shifted by a fork on a shifting slide 61rocked by a lever 62 connectedby a link 63 to a hand lever 64. Thisprovides for the reversal of the vertical feed screws 12 and the handcontrol from a motor 74 mounted on a bracket 75 carriedat one side ofthe carriage 10. These gears 70 alternately'drive the shaft 76 fromwhich through the beveljpinions 7 7 the feed screws 17 are driven; Theclutches 71 are controlled by, forks 80 on a shift rod 81 and operatedby a bell crank 82 moved by a pair of rods 83 84 on which are mountedstops 85 and 86 which may be adjusted by the hand wheels S'Zand 88 so asto space the stops 85 and 86 and thus control the length of traverse ofthe spindle slide. On the spindle slide are stops 89 adapted to contactthe stops 85'an'd 86 at each end of the traverse so as to engage anddisengage the bevel gears 70 and reverse the drive of the shaft 76.

The clutchesfl are alternately locked in held in either of its actuatedpositionsby a gravity roller 100 which finds lodgment' engagement by thefollowing mechanism. On

the shaft 81 are a pair of adjustable collars 81 between which and theend of the bell crank 82 are interposed a pair of cushioning springs82lA pair of pivoted latches 82 are provided, the ends of whichare alternately tripped by the end of the bell crank 82; The bell crank 82 firstcompresses its opposing spring until itsend has freed the latch 82?'which'is holding its opposing collar 81. As soon'asthe latch is kickedoff the rod 81 is urged forward until thefollowing collar 81 comesbehindits own latch 852 and the rod 81 is thereby held to maintain theproper clutch in engagement with itsgear 70. The gear 9 may bemovedalong its trackway 8 by a pinion 90 engaging with a rack 91carried'on the car. The pinion 90 is on a shaft 92 and'spirally gearedas at 93 to a vertical shaft 9%. At its upper'end the shaft 9lisdriveniby a pair of bevel pinions 95 from a countershaft 98 whichthrough a train of gears 97 is driven by the motor 98. This motortherefore supplies the power by which the car is positioned or made totraverse beneath the spindle. It is reversible by a'rocker 100 hung on abracket 101 connected bylinks 102 to areversing rheostat 103 which isconnected up in the circuit ofthe motor 98 (wiring not shown). Therocker100 is connected by rods 104 to a lower rocker 105 which has atail lever 106 adapted to contact with the adjustable tripper 107carried by the car whereby at the completlon of a predetermined movementof the car it will be reversed. The rocker 100 a in either end ofitsretaining slot until the isengaged by the pinion 90. The car mayberocker is brought past the level bythe return then brought under powerfrom the motor 98 under hand control of the rheostat 103 until it issuitably positioned beneath the wheelll The pressure of the spring 24 isthen adjusted according to the character of the work and the spindleframe 10 lowered under the con;

- trol of the lever 64 untilthe wheel is contacting with the surface'lofthe stone under the pressure of the spring;24l"which is slightlycompressedby the loweringof'thehea'd10.

This pressure depends on theicharacterof;

the workand something upon the judgment of'the operator and is notnecessarilyjanyfan bitrary or definite amount but in the ffirst instanceis' indica'tive of an amount of pressure jad udged to be suitable fortheattack uponflthe rough surface of thestone- As the initialisurface ofthe stone is hardly ever .levelfthis pressure will be a somewhat'varymgone and will approachzero as the spindle finds areas originallylower orareas lowered by the action of the wheel, Observation of the indicatortherefore enables the operator in the changing positions of the spindleas it is traversed across the work or asthelw'ork f traverses beneath itor as it takes on any combination of these movements to determinewhether he is on arelatively higher or lower area. He will thusultimately locate without the necessity ofanysightingor measuring hishigh spots and his low spots as well as his intermediate areas and bycontrolling the strokes of the traverse or by causing a dwell hecanrapidly bring hisstone down to a true level which he can verify as heproceeds. If the work of an operator is to be inspected or checked,pressure 'inay'be relieved and the elements of my machine may bemodified without departing from the] spirit of my invention. J f i WhatI therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1". A stonesurfacing machine comprising a way,a car movablealong said way, a rackbeneath said 'car, a pinion in the way and en gageable therewith, areversible drive for said pinion, a rigid frame across said way, a car,-rlage supported on said frame and movable and lowering said carriage,across slide. on

said carriage and movable transversely \of Y sa1d way, a reverslbledrlve for saidslid aa vertical rigid spindle bearing on" said slide, arotatable spindle vertically movable there-. in, a rigidly connectedwork wheel carried by saidspindle a spring-pressed followerfor,

verticallythereof, vertical drivesfor raising said spindle, and amultiplying indicator connectedto said spindle to register successivestages of vertical movement of the. spin; dleandworkwheel 'f i 2.-In astone surfacing machine astone' support a; rigid frame above thesupper-ha carriage mounted on the frame and movable verticallythereofemeans for adjusting 've'r-l tical movement ofthefcarriage,across slide on the carriage and. movable transversely'of 4 the support,a work wheel rotatably supportedin the slide, means for presentingtheface of the'jvorkwheel-in a ,Qivemplane, means on the eross'slide foryieldingly pressing the wheel into engagement with theistone alstoplimitingthe downward, yieldingmovenient vof the wheel and anindicator-cooperating with the wheel eifectiveduring. operation of thewheel and/intermediate the limitsofthe yield;

ing movement of the wheel to indicate when the surface of the stonebeing operated upon is at a predetermined level.

3. In a stone surfacing machine, a stone support, a rigid framethereabove, a work wheel rotatably supported in said rigid frame, saidwheel support being so arranged as to constantly maintain the face ofthe wheel in a horizontal plane adjusting means mounted on the frameadapted to move the wheel to different horizontal positions relative tothe stone'being operated upon, means for varying the vertical adjustmentof the wheel upon the frame, and supplemental vertically adjusting meanspermitting vertical movement of the work wheel independently of saidfirstnamed vertical adjustment, said supplemental adjusting meansincluding a yielding resilient member effective to press the face of thework wheel into engagement with the stone operated uponand permittingslight vertical movement of the wheel independently of the first-namedvertical adjustment, and means cooperating with the resilient memberwhereby said last-named means may function as a stop or base line topositively arrest the downward movement of the Work wheel and thusprevent the functioning of the wheel below a predetermined level, whichlevel may be varied and determined by said first-named verticaladjusting means.

4. In a stone surfacing machine, a stone support, a rigid framethereabove, a work wheel rotatably supported in said rigid frame, saidwheel support being so arranged as to constantly maintain the face ofthe wheel in a horizontal plane, adjusting means 7 mounted on the frameadapted to move the wheel to different horizontal positions relative tothe stone being operated upon, means for varying the vertical adjustmentof the wheel upon the frame, and supplemental vertically adjusting meanspermitting vertical movement of the work wheel independently of saidfirst-named vertical adjustment, said supplemental adjusting meansincluding a yielding resilient member effective to press the face of thework wheel into engagement with the stone being operated upon and permitting slight vertical movement of the wheel independently of thefirst-named vertical adjustment, and an indicating means responsiveduring the operation of thewheel, and while the resilient member iseffective, to indicate when the working faceof the wheel is at apredetermined or given level.

5. stone surfacingma'ch'ine, comprising a carriage support, a carriagemovable vertically thereof, a cross slide on saidcarriage, a reversingdrive for said slide, adjustable stops adapted to be successivelycontacted by said cross slide and effective 'upon'such contact toautomatically reverse the direction of slide drive, a dominant handcontrol for said stops effective upon act'uation to render said stopslneflective to reverse said slide, a vertical spindle bearing on saidslide, a rotatable spindle vertically movable in said bearing, a workwheel carried by said spindle, and means for continuously indicatingsuccessive states of perpendicular adjustment of said wheel relative tothe ultimate predetermined, surface level of the stone being workedupon.

6. In a stone surfacing machine, a frame, a carriage adjustable thereon,a cross-slide supported by said carriage, a work wheel supported on saidslide, and a reversible drive for said slide comprising a motor, a shafthaving a pair of clutches and driven from said motor,- alternatelyeffective slide operating devices driven from said clutch shaft, aclutch shifting rod, a: bell crank lever for operating said rod, and apair of hand-operated control rods connected to said bell crank andprovided with adjustable stops disposable in the path of saidslide forlimiting the extreme traverse thereof in either direction.

7. In a stone surfacing machine, a frame, a carriage adjustable thereon,a cross-slide supported by said carriage, a work wheel sup- {:0

ported on said slide, and a reversible drive for said slide comprising amotor, a shaft having a pair of clutches and driven from said motor,alternately effective slide operating devices driven from said clutchshaft, a clutch shifting rod, a pair of adjustable spring-controlledcollars on said rod, a pair of latches cooperative with said collars, abell crank lever for alternately tripping said latches, and a pair ofhand-operated control rods connected to said bell crank lever andprovided wit-h adjustable stops disposable in the path of said slide forlimiting the extreme traverse thereof in either direction.

8. In a stone surfacing machine, a way, a car movable along said way, areversible drive for said car, a frame across said way, a carriageadjustable vertically of said frame, raising and lowering screws foreffecting said adjustment, a reversible drive for said screws andindependent of said drive for said car, a cross slide on said carriage,a reversible drive for said slide independent of said drives for theoarand screws and including a pair of adjustable stops adaptedalternately to be contacted by said slide to accomplish the reversalthereof and a domi nant hand control for said stops, a work wheeldepending from saidslide, and a constant drive for said work wheelindependent of the reversible drives for said car, screws, and crossslide;

9. In a stone surfacingmachine, a frame, a work wheel carriageadjustable vertically thereon, a series of raising and lowering screwsfor effecting adjustment of said carriage, gears at the upper ends ofsaid screws.

a driving shaft, a shaftdriven therefrom,

reversible driving connections between said shafts, ncluding a pan'ofcone pulleys on said motor driven shaft and a friction cone cooperativetherewith, driving connections from said driven shaft to said screws,and a control for reversing the direction of rotation of said screwsincluding a shifting slide having a fork cooperative with said cones,and a hand lever operatively connected with said slide.

y In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

JAMES OANNING.

